Floor protecting mat



Nov. 27, 1956 A. V. MARKIEWICZ FLOOR PROTECTING MAT Filed June 2, 1954United States. Patent O i 2,771,613 FLOOR PROTECTING MAT Anna V.Markiewl'cz; St. Louis, Mo. T Application June 2, 1954, Serial No.434,005

1 Claim. (Cl. 4-252) This invention relates to floor protecting mats,and more particularly, to protecting mats for use in conjunction with atoilet bowl.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending applicationSerial No. 188,420, filed October 4, 1950, since abandoned, alsoentitled Floor Protecting Mat.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision ofa flexible absorbent mat of the class described which is adapted to fitclosely with the base of a toilet bowl completely around the bowl abovethe usual flange at the base of the bowl, whereby the mat .is completelyeffective to protect the flooring from water running down the outside ofthe bowl; the provision of a mat of this class which is adapted to lieflat on the floor; the provision of a mat of this class so constructedas to be applicable around bowls of difierent shapes and sizes. Otherfeatures will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations ofelements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which willbe exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope ofthe application of which will be indicated in the following claim.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possibleembodiments of the invention is illustrated,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the mat of this invention asused in connection with a toilet bowl; and,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the underneath side of the mat.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

Referring now to Fig. l of the drawings, there is illustrated a toiletgenerally designated 1 and having the usual bowl 3 and a watercompartment 5. The bowl 3 is attached by its base to floor 7 in thecustomary manner, as by bolts 9 passed through a suitably aperturedflange 11 formed at the base of the bowl.

The mat 13 of this invention is adapted to surround the neck of bowl 3at its base and cover a substantial area of the floor 7 around thetoilet. This mat is made of flexible absorbent material, which ispreferably washable, such as a pile fabric having a fabric backing 15and pile facing 17 on the backing. The mat is generally pear shapedhaving a central opening 19 and a sectorshaped opening 21 from the rearof the central opening 19 to the outer periphery of the mat at its rear.The sides of the central opening 19 are somewhat convergent toward therear of the mat, and the sides of the sectorshaped opening 21 aredivergent from an apex at the rear of the central opening to the rear ofthe mat when the mat is completely flat. A border of elastic material 23is shown as extending completely and continuously around the inner edgeof the backing 15 on the underside of the backing and bounding thecentral opening from the edge of the backing on one side of the innerend of the sector-shaped opening 21 to the edge of the 2,771,613Patented Nov. 27, 1956 backing on the otherside of the inner end ofopening 21 for tight engagement of the inner edge of the backing withthe neck of the toilet bowl 3 over the flange 11. In lieu of the elasticborder, a draw string or stiffening band could be used around thecentral opening.

The opposite sides of the sector-shaped opening 21 are adapted to besecured together by slide fastener means as indicated at 25 and 27secured to the backing 15 along said sides. The slide fastener means areshown as attached to the backing on the underside of the mat so thatwhen the fastener is closed, the pile 17 overlaps and covers thefastener. A stiifening band 29 may be located along the outer border ofthe mat, if desired.

The mat is positioned for use by opening it at 21 and folding back theareas adjacent the opening 21 so that the mat may be placed in positionencircling the neck of the bowl 3. The opening 21 is then closed bybringing its sides together by means of the slide fastener. This isaccomplished by lifting up the back portion of the mat. The bringingtogether of the sides of the sector-shaped opening 21 results in ahumping up of the inner border 23 of the mat with the result that ittightly engages the neck of the bowl covering; the entire base above theflange 11, thereby preventing leakage between the bowl and the mat.While the inner border is humped up over the flange, the remainder ofthe mat lies flat on the floor. If the mat did not engage the neck ofthe bowl above the flange, there would be a tendency for the mat toslide sidewise off the base and over the flange and form a gap betweenmat and bowl. After the opening 21 has been secured, the mat iseffectively held against slippage, such as might be caused in everydayuse by persons using the toilet. Moreover, the rear portion of the matserves to catch condensate forming on the water compartment 5 or back ofthe bowl 3.

The mat shown herein is adapted, by reason of the sector-shape ofopening 21, to fit tightly around the neck of toilet bowls of variouscircumferences, with its inner border humped up over the flange andcovering the entire base of the bowl, with the remainder of the matlying flat on the floor. In this respect it will be noted that the slideof the slide-fastener may be locked at various positions along thelength of the sides of opening 21 thereby permitting variation in theeffective circumference of the inner border. Since the fastener or othermeans of securing the opening is located on the underneath side of themat, the pile above it overlaps to prevent any leakage at the rear ofthe bowl.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

I claim:

A floor mat for use in connection with a toilet bowl, comprising afabric backing having a central opening adapted to receive and fitclosely with a toilet bowl adjacent the floor and above any flange atthe base of the bowl, the sides of said opening converging toward therear of the mat, the backing having a sector-shaped opening from therear of the central opening to the periphery of the mat at its rear, thesides of said sector-shaped opening being divergent from an apex at therear of the central opening to the rear of the mat when the mat iscompletely, flat, a border of elastic material extending completely andcontinuously around the inner edge of the backing on the underside ofthe backing and bound-- ing the central opening from the edge of thehacking on one side of the inner end of the sector-shaped opening, tothe edge of the backing on the other side of the inner end of thesector-shaped opening for drawing the inner edge f the backing; snuglyintoengagernent with various toilet bowl. shapes, slidefas'te'ner, meanssecured to the backing on the underside of the that atopposite sides ofthe sector-Shaped opening for securing tdgethe'r said' sides, and a pilefacing (in the backing;

Rererems'cma' in" me file of this patent" UNITED STATES PATENTS SamuelsDec. 29, Newiin July 8, Wilcott Sept. 7, Beiter Oct. 13, Biewen Jan. 16,Stovall Aug. 24,

- 'FOREI'GNPATENTS Great Britain: ..a-..a. .a...-... Jam. 7,

